MB restaurant owner’s felony DUI case moves forward, charge added
MBPD
Michael Allen Hilton
Published: October 14, 2008
Updated: October 14, 2008
In September, the Horry County grand jury indicted 56-year-old Michael A. Hilton, a Myrtle Beach restaurant owner, on one count of felony driving under the influence involving death, one count of felony DUI with great bodily injury, and reckless homicide, according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s office.
The AG’s office added the reckless homicide charge to Hilton’s felony DUI charges.
The 15th Circuit Solicitor handed the case over to the state’s AG for prosecution because Hilton’s attorney in a 1999 accident where a man died after Hilton hit him on Highway 17, is now a circuit court judge in Horry County.
The September indictments were withdrawn after it was learned that several members of the grand jury heard about the Hilton case from media reports, which means the charges and evidence will go back before the grand jury on Oct. 20, according to the AG’s office.
On May 11, Myrtle Beach police responded to an accident involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck at the intersection of Kings Highway and Wild Wood Dunes Trail.
When emergency crews arrived on the scene, they found a bike and two victims on the ground.
In the crash, 44-year-old Angelo Gonzalez of Boardman, Ohio died and medics took his girlfriend, Suzie Reader to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Officers said 56-year-old Michael Hilton tried to make a left turn onto Wild Wood Dunes Trail and turned in front of Gonzalez’s bike.
Gonzalez’s bike slammed into the side of Hilton’s 2008 Ford truck, but Hilton left the scene and headed home, according to police.
Hilton walked back to the scene and never told investigators he was involved in the accident until a witness pointed him out, according to the incident report.
Hilton told officers he left a party and admitted to having only “2 to 3 drinks,” according to the report.
According to the police report, officers read Hilton his rights and had him perform several field sobriety tests, which he failed before officers performed a DataMaster examination on him.
The report states Hilton’s blood alcohol level registered 0.15, nearly two times the legal limit.
Amanda Gonzalez said her dad’s passion was his family, and riding his bike, “He was a very caring and loving man. He was a good guy and I can’t even describe to you the best grandfather any kid could have,” Gonzalez told News13.
In April 1991, Hilton hit a University of Georgia senior, Keith Linden, Jr on Highway 17 near restaurant row.
Authorities never charged Hilton in the 1991 accident.
Linden and another man tried to walk across Highway 17 when Linden stepped out in front of Hilton’s SUV, killing the 21 year old student.
Linden had a blood alcohol content of 0.19, according to Nancy Linden, Keith’s mother.
Authorities ruled the incident accidental and closed the case, despite that fact that the Lindens suspected Hilton was drinking at the time of the crash.
The Highway Patrol never investigated Hilton, nor charged him with any crime in connection to the 1999 incident.
Hilton wrote the Linden’s a letter following the accident, apologizing for the accident.
Hilton wrote, “If I could have done anything to prevent it would have. This is truly the worst thing that has ever happened. Please know and accept our sympathies and constant prayers. If there is anything I can do, please let me know.”
Nancy Linden sued the Hiltons and won a $25,000 lawsuit in 1994.
Michael Hilton remains free on bond.
The AG’s office said it plans to bring Hilton to trial on the charges by May 2009.
You can count on News13 to continue to follow this story as details come available.
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Reader Reactions
My heart goes out to Angelo’s family, what a horrific thing to go through, and it is insane that this Hilton guy got away with one DUI and killing someone, let alone the possibility of even getting away with another. Mr. Hilton deserves to be put away for a long time so he can seriously think about what he was done. The lives of those in Angelo’s family have been forever changed, and not in a good way. They won’t ever see their father, grandfather, brother, or friend again. I don’t even understand why they are waiting until 2009 to prosecute this man, he needs put away now. While he’s out on bond, he could have another “2 or 3 “ drinks and kill someone else! Please put this man away forever!
Im here in support of my good friend Amanda, I feel that this man needs to be put to death, it brings tears to my eyes everytime I talk to Amanda. She is planning a wedding and Hilton took her father away from her. Your buisnesses should be taken from you, you desereve nothing but the dirt on the ground. What goes around comes around, you caused so much suffering to too many families. Your not going to get a ‘free get out of jail pass’ this time around in May, you’ve got whats coming for you!
How many people must suffer at the hands of Mr. Hilton? When will it be enough? When another person’s life is cut short by his negligence? We read articles like these and feel sorry for the families of those victims but don’t you think that it is time to actually hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions? Angelo was a good man and this situation does not deserve to be treated with such disregard. His family is suffering and convicting Mr. Hilton may not bring Angelo back but it may give comfort to all of the families that have been affected by his lack of responsibility.
Words cannot begin express the amount of sorrow that I have for my sister, Susie,and for her boyfriemd, Angelo.
I hope that the State’s Courts recognize that Mr. Hilton already had his second chance at going clean when he was allowed to murder Keith Linden. Michael Hilton should have sought help for his drinking problem in 1999, and thanked God that he did not go to prison. However, I doubt that Michael Hilton took the past events in his life with any seriousness or sincerity, as he was clearly drunk the night that he crippled my sister and killed Angelo.
This time, Michael Hilton must go to prison, and be sentenced for a lifetime without hope of parole. He does not deserve the priviledge of driving, the freedom to walk about and murder whomever he wants.
The time has arrived for the State’s Courts to recognize that Michael Hilton is a selfish, self-serving, alcoholic who must never be trusted again to roam freely in public.
May the courts treat Michael Hilton with the same mercy, respect, and consideration that he has treated Angelo Gonzales, Keith Linden, and Susie Reader with.
mr. hilton was released on bond before my 1st surgery was over and before i found out i lost the love of my life. i have been through 9 major surgeries to save my leg. the 1st 7 were in the 1st 11 days after mr. hilton pulled out in front of us. i am very lucky to have such wonderful doctors that have performed miracles on my leg. my mother has moved in with my daughter and i because i am unable to perform any activities of daily living. i wear a taylor spacial frame on my leg with 21 pins that weighs 20 lbs. i am unable to go out because my leg immediatly swells up and i have severe pain. one of the other hard times i have is consoling amanda (angelo’s daughter) she desperatly misses her father. some days i speak with her i can’t even understand her because she is crying so hard. her children victoria-4 and bobbie jr-1 will never know or remember the love their grandfather had for them. i hope the people of horry county/myrtle beach don’t forget the horrible crime mr. hilton commited twice (keith linden) because it could easily be one of them next time. i promise to fight for the rest of my life if need be for amanda gonzalez, victoria, bobbie jr, morgan, nancy linden, keith linden, juli lindburg and my family who puts up with me everyday crying and not having any patience with life in general. i miss angelo so bad and he didn’t deserve any of this. all i can do is hope that mr. hilton spends the rest of his life in jail because that is the way i feel everyday…...like i’m in jail, stuck in my house in bed.
I would just like to tell Micheal Hilton that karma is real. What goes around comes around. You will not get away with this crime AGAIN! You have left to many people here suffering and together and united we pray that you get what you deserve, JAIL! Years and years of jail. I hope you enjoyed that drink, and god only knows how drunk you were when you killed Keith Linden, but your friends aren’t going to get you out of trouble this time. We are ready like men in battle ready to take from you what you took from us, life. Here we are left cleaning up a mess that you made but we see the light at the end of this tunnel and we can’t wait till we reach it. I also wonder how you sleep at night or how your family can even get the stomache to look at you. You are a drunk who needs help and you’re gonna get it. You’re not gonna get a slap on the hand this time. Our family will not die and suffer in vein.
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